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Na’ima Roberts founded and launched UK-based SISTERS (link: www.sisters-magazine.com) in April 2007 as an online magazine. With their local advertisers weary of their purchases in online advertising spaces, SISTERS was published in print, three issues later. Sales increased immediately through the encouraging rapport between the glossy magazine and their readers.
Balancing between Profit-orientation and Reader Appreciation
Subscription sales are vital for a magazine since they drive other sources of income. Managing and balancing between sales and clientele relationships is an intergral challenge in the magazine industry.
“To succeed as a magazine, several streams of income are needed to ensure profitability.” Na’ima describes them as sales from single issues and subscriptions (physical and online), advertising, affiliates and ancillary products (such as merchandise, additional publications, clothing, gifts and events).
However, ancilliary products can cause consumers to feel overwhelmed and short-changed. Na’ima works by the strategy of “addressing the needs of [your] niche,” relaying that increasing profitable streams does not necessarily mean reducing appreciative readership.
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| Name: |
Na'ima B. Robert |
| Title: |
Managing Director and Editor |
| Company: |
SISTERS Magazine |
| Website: |
www.sisters-magazine.com |
| Industry: |
Publishing |
| Team size: |
12 team members, 25 including writers and 30 affiliates |
| Country: |
United Kingdom |
| Previous Industries: |
Education, Writing |
| Education Background: |
| First Class Bachelors Hons French, Business and Politics, University of London, graduated in 1999 |
| Inspiration: |
To achieve wonderful things for the deen and inspire sisters to achieve their full potential while holding onto Islam |
| Role Models: |
On being a fearless Muslim woman: Aisha bint Abi Bakr (radhiyallahu anha)
On building an empire: Martha Stewart
On using influence to effect change: Oprah Winfrey |
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“It is important to choose products and services that will build your brand, not damage it or bring it into disrepute. You have to stay true to your company ethos or you risk alienating your readers and damaging the credibility of your organisation.”
Relationship Building with Income Providers
Transforming the SISTERS e-zine into print editions has compounded the importance of relationships with different groups besides just the reader and a few advertisers. The magazine’s presence in the UK is now noticed by a range of advertising agencies, retailers, distributors and government bodies, all in which play a role in increasing clientele outreach and thus, revenue potential for the magazine.
With so many potential sources of income, Na’ima finds it imperative to stay in touch with those who face their clients at ground level. “We make use of project-sharing software, and chat programs like Gmail and Skype. We also have regular bulletins for the SISTERS team, advertisers and our readers. This way, we include them in our activities as a company and share our plans and successes with them.” Managing 6 divisions and nearly 60 members of the SISTERS team, Na’ima has successfully created a corporate culture that allows everyone to cooperate in building marketing strategies.
“It is also possible to make use of cross-sell opportunities with advertisers and marketing partners.” SISTERS has a great comparative advantage and leveraged uniqueness being one of the few Islamic lifestyle magazines for Muslim women.
Criteria for International Expansion
“Competent partners with local knowledge and experience of marketing to Muslims [in their territory] are vital for international expansion.” SISTERS actively builds relationships with different marketing and sales teams to solidify a presence in new markets. At the same time, SISTERS’ international flavour of editors, designers, writers and affiliates being Muslim women of different nationalities and cultures is an asset to the magazine.
Their successful branding strategy and growing presence in the UK (and now, a growing readership in Nigeria), is being duplicated to penetrate a range of markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, The Middle East, France, Australia and Malaysia. “As long as there is market of Muslim women who are willing to read and purchase SISTERS, the list is endless.”
SISTERS’ strategy involves penetrating new markets from the grassroots. “A company willing to invest time and finances to market the magazine is the last criterion for overseas expansion.” Partnership with a marketing firm in the US, for example, is leading to new forms of marketing activities such as webcasts, viral marketing and SEO.
“Our programme of webcasts in the USA kicks off in April [2008]. Our first true expansion though, is in South Africa – we are launching our Spring issue in collaboration with Cii, South Africa’s largest radio station... so,” she says, “stay tuned for that.” |
